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The Helpsystem

The Helpsystem is a html-mirror of the Helpsystem I am adding to Squeak inside Squeak.

One way to regard it is as an update of the class comments in Squeak. Inside Squeak the Helpsystem uses a Hypertext tool of Squeak, that is more powerful than can be displayed in html on this site. See Remark 1 below.

To save space I have not used the normal page format on this site. In each class comment there is a picture of the Squeak logo that when clicked leads to the present file.

The Helpsystem starts here, as in Squeak: Help.

REMARK 1
THE HELPSYSTEM IS RATHER USELESS WITHOUT A RUNNING
SQUEAK ON YOUR COMPUTER. IT IS REPRODUCED HERE ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES.

REMARK 2
The three main illustrative purposes are
(1) for people with some knowledge of Squeak or Smalltalk: To see what the new comments are like and
(2) for people with some knowledge of programming: To see what the classes of Squeak are like
(3) to have a useful html-survey of all the text involved in all of the Helpsystem.

REMARK 3
The Helpsystem is a first version
in transit (and will be changed soon), and is meant to be read inside Squeak. (To repeat: Without either Squeak running on your computer or a fair knowledge of programming the
Help is of very little use or instruction to you.)

REMARK 4
The internal links in the files on this site have (mostly) not been added yet, and will be added (if at all) only if a first version has been put on line.

REMARK 5
There will be changesets that contain the new comments made available soon (when I have for the first time moved through ALL classes). These changesets will be also provisional, since after that I will review my comments.

REMARK 6
The reason to do this - writing new comments for Squeak's classes - are (1) that I think this is
VERY necessary to properly document Squeak - see my Squeak-section (2) that in fact this has never been done properly (according to my standards), neither in Smalltalk nor Squeak  - see my Squeak-section - and (3) that nobody else is doing it - as Smalltalk-programmer Travis Griggs has summarized a general moral fact of life: "10 2 letter words: "If it is to be it is up to me".

 

The Helpsystem - changesets

If you have a running Squeak 3.2 #4956 on your computer you may like to see what my new comments are like in Squeak. Well ... here is the wherewithall to enjoy and savour it (and if you do not understand the following instructions, it is not worth trying):

  • Get a new Squeak 3.2 #4956 image, either from your own computer or by way of squeak.org
  • Download this: FontlnCngs-tk22Jul1843.cs and file in into the new image before filing in the next item:
  • Download this: MMComments3oct02.1.zip (172 Kb) and unzip it with some standard zip tool. A changeset MMComments3oct02.1.cs of slightly over 600 Kb will result.
  • File in MMComments3oct02.1.cs into the new image in which you have already filed in FontlnCngs-tk22Jul1843.cs. (It won't file in without this!)
  • Open a system browser in Squeak, find "Helpsystem" in the categories-pane, and start reading "Help" and the linked files "AnIntroduction", "BrowsingSqueak" and "Glossary".

Comments on my comments are welcome but may not be answered - my reasons to write my comments are in my Squeak-section and my belief is that most of my arguments cannot be rationally refuted, and also that you are free, if you disagree, to write a better Helpsystem than you think I did.


Welcome to the Squeak pages of Maarten Maartensz. See:  Map + Tour + Tips + Notes + News + Home